MCT presents 'Rumpelstiltskin' to full house

After a full week of rehearsals and related activity, Missoula Children's Theatre and the Somers-Lakeside PTA presented their latest, "Rumpelstiltskin," to a full house during both performances last Saturday afternoon and evening.

"All the kids did such a great job," Michelle Ahern, the PTA's MCT coordinator, said. "The teams from Missoula Children's Theatre do an incredible job with them in just one week getting them ready for the play and it really shows.

"This is such a great experience for them. It's their chance to be on stage and be in the spotlight. It's their time to shine in front of the whole community, and their friends and family are there to applaud their achievement. That does wonders for their self-esteem."

Riley Loudermilk was cast in the lead role of Rumpelstiltskin, while Saphire Snake played the part of "Younger Clara" and Siera Hanson played the older Clara. Ross Van Luven took on the role of King Whatsat and Ashley Postier played opposite to him as Queen Beatrice. Elijah Katchur was cast as the Jester and Michelle Reed and Saila Rogge were the king's knights.

A support cast of wizards, gnomes, villagers and busy bees numbered brought the total cast to more than 70, aided by assistant directors Caitlyn Christensen, Macy Remington and Will Thompson.

This year's MCT team consisted of Heidi Germann and Amelia Taber, who hail from two entirely different parts of the country. Germann, who was raised in Storm Lake, Iowa, graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in performing arts and emphasis on acting and directing. Taber grew up in San Francisco and recently graduated from the drama department at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Germann's favorite roles have included being cast as Olga in "Three Sisters," Mrs. Squires in "The Music Man," and Ado Annie in "Oklahoma!" Having been involved with MCT as a child, she was excited to have the opportunity to do so professionally after being noticed by MCT scouts at regional auditions in St. Louis.

Taber has worked professionally as a stage manager and musical performer at the Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre and also taught at the Bay Area Shakespeare Camp, where she spent last summer, prior to being invited to join MCT. Taber's favorite roles, prior to MCT, were Boult in "Pericles, Prince of Tyre," the Narrator in "Boise, Idaho," Clytaemnestra in "Agamemnon" and Suzanne in "Picasso at the Lapin Agile."

Germann and Taber have worked together since last fall and said it is easy to get into a professional rhythm as a team. Both enjoy working in children's theatre and the experience they have gained through MCT.

"It's been a lot of fun," Germann said. "You learn how to talk to the kids and communicate with them. There's so much that you have to get them to do in five days, but it's really rewarding. The kids come to you and tell you that this was the best week of their lives, and the parents want to thank you for what it's meant to their kids."

"You're only there for one week, so you are their favorite part of the week," Taber added. "You end up really learning to love it. It becomes your life. It's not like any other job. You get to perform every week, and you get to travel to different places every week.

"You would think it would get old doing the same show week after week, but each kid does each part differently, so it's always different. The kids absorb it all really fast. Their actually very attentive and pick things up very quickly."

"You couldn't teach this to adults in five days," Germann said. "But kids soak it right up."

Both Germann and Taber said they enjoy coming to communities like Lakeside and Somers, where the experience of MCT is so well known. Here, as in areas where the community has ongoing relationship with MCT, people always wave. And, even though most of the kids know the routine, they always get excited when it's time to do it again.

"One thing about this town is that we're already part of the Somers family and part of the community," Germann said. "The parents are very supportive. The school is great to work with. The PTA and the Outlook Bed and Breakfast take such good care of us. And it's so beautiful. I wake up, every morning and say, 'Look at that view!'"

German said MCT has helped her to grow as a director because of the organization's philosophy that the more energy you put into your interaction with the kids, the more energy you get back.

"It's all show and tell, not just tell," she said. "The confidence this job gives you is phenomenal, to be able to get up in front of 60-70 kids and command their attention. You have to be in control all the time and you can't lose your cool.

"You meet all kinds of different people, and you have to be approachable" Taber said. "You have to be easy to work with. We were both really bad at remembering names when we started. Now, we're brilliant."